History Nebraska Blog

Vietnam Women's Memorial Quilt

September 21, 2017

This quilt was owned by Judith Knopp of Lincoln, Nebraska, quilted by Donna Brittenham and Ann Davis, and painted by Arlene Koenig. Although no information is available about the quilters or painter, Judith Knopp was a 1st lieutenant in the U. S. Army during the Vietnam War and served as a nurse during a three-year tour at a large base hospital in Japan. She was also the Nebraska volunteer coordinator for the Vietnam Women's Memorial project during the 1980s through the memorial's dedication in Washington, DC in 1993.

The image in the center of the quilt is based on a statue by Rodger Brodin of Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was the initial design for the women's memorial, but it was not approved by the Commission of Fine Arts in 1987. A different memorial now stands in Washington.